Teams bring home mock trial honors

From staff reports

Published: Saturday, March 15, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 14, 2014 at 11:45 p.m.

The verdicts of recent mock trial competitions brought great news to the teams of Hendersonville High, ranked the best of 2A schools in the state during the 2014 N.C. Advocates for Justice Mock Trial competition last month.

The two Bearcat teams, named "Bears" and "Cats," returned home with a slew of awards after regional bouts in Charlotte and Asheville on Feb. 1. The HHS Cats team won the Charlotte competition and advanced to the state finals in Raleigh Feb. 28-March 1.

"Mock trial is a national competition in which students create teams of attorneys and witnesses to put on a fictional case in court in front of attorneys and judges. All high schools, home schools, charter schools and private schools compete together regardless of size or location within North Carolina," according to a news release from the team Thursday.

The Bears reigned supreme in one of two trials at the Asheville regional competition on Feb. 1, bringing home a total of six awards. Carol Kowald, Karen Sanchez, Otto Singer, Andrea Kolarova, Mason Stallings, Meghan Reid, Michael Bowen and Kendall Wick man the team.

Stallings received the Judges' Choice for Best Attorney–All Region. Kolarova received the Judges' Choice for Best Witness–All Region.

Bowen won the Student Choice award for Star Witness. Sanchez won the Student Choice award for Star Attorney.

Kowald received the Student Choice award for Star Attorney and Singer won the Student Choice award for Star Witness.

The Cats were unbeatable at the Charlotte regional on Feb. 1, winning all three trials and advancing to the state finals in Raleigh. The team brought home 10 awards. The Cats team members are Clare Little, Margaret Dillon, Rachel Allen, Eleanor Palmer, Jacob Bushe, Julia Slawek, Nathanael Lemmens and Alex Salvaggio.

Allen won the Judges' Choice for Best Attorney–All Region, the Judges' Choice for Best Witness–All Region and two Student Choice awards for Star Attorney. Palmer won the Judges' Choice for Best Attorney–All Region and the Student Choice award for Star Witness.

Dillon received the Student Choice award for Star Attorney.

Little won the Judges' Choice for Best Attorney–All Region and two Student Choice awards for Star Witness.

From Feb. 28-March 1, the Cats team won its first trial and advanced to the state semi-finals, where they lost to Greenville Rose High School in competition at Campbell Law School in Raleigh.

Individual winners at the state finals were: Palmer, who won the Judges' Choice award for Best Attorney–All State; Little, who won the Student Choice award for Star Attorney; Lemmens, who won the Student Choice award for Star Attorney; Allen, who won the Student Choice award for Star Witness; and Salvaggio, who won the Student Choice award for Star Witness.

<p>The verdicts of recent mock trial competitions brought great news to the teams of Hendersonville High, ranked the best of 2A schools in the state during the 2014 N.C. Advocates for Justice Mock Trial competition last month.</p><p>The two Bearcat teams, named "Bears" and "Cats," returned home with a slew of awards after regional bouts in Charlotte and Asheville on Feb. 1. The HHS Cats team won the Charlotte competition and advanced to the state finals in Raleigh Feb. 28-March 1.</p><p>"Mock trial is a national competition in which students create teams of attorneys and witnesses to put on a fictional case in court in front of attorneys and judges. All high schools, home schools, charter schools and private schools compete together regardless of size or location within North Carolina," according to a news release from the team Thursday.</p><p>The Bears reigned supreme in one of two trials at the Asheville regional competition on Feb. 1, bringing home a total of six awards. Carol Kowald, Karen Sanchez, Otto Singer, Andrea Kolarova, Mason Stallings, Meghan Reid, Michael Bowen and Kendall Wick man the team.</p><p>Stallings received the Judges' Choice for Best Attorney–All Region. Kolarova received the Judges' Choice for Best Witness–All Region.</p><p>Bowen won the Student Choice award for Star Witness. Sanchez won the Student Choice award for Star Attorney.</p><p>Kowald received the Student Choice award for Star Attorney and Singer won the Student Choice award for Star Witness.</p><p>The Cats were unbeatable at the Charlotte regional on Feb. 1, winning all three trials and advancing to the state finals in Raleigh. The team brought home 10 awards. The Cats team members are Clare Little, Margaret Dillon, Rachel Allen, Eleanor Palmer, Jacob Bushe, Julia Slawek, Nathanael Lemmens and Alex Salvaggio.</p><p>Allen won the Judges' Choice for Best Attorney–All Region, the Judges' Choice for Best Witness–All Region and two Student Choice awards for Star Attorney. Palmer won the Judges' Choice for Best Attorney–All Region and the Student Choice award for Star Witness.</p><p>Dillon received the Student Choice award for Star Attorney.</p><p>Little won the Judges' Choice for Best Attorney–All Region and two Student Choice awards for Star Witness.</p><p>From Feb. 28-March 1, the Cats team won its first trial and advanced to the state semi-finals, where they lost to Greenville Rose High School in competition at Campbell Law School in Raleigh.</p><p>Individual winners at the state finals were: Palmer, who won the Judges' Choice award for Best Attorney–All State; Little, who won the Student Choice award for Star Attorney; Lemmens, who won the Student Choice award for Star Attorney; Allen, who won the Student Choice award for Star Witness; and Salvaggio, who won the Student Choice award for Star Witness.</p><p>Coaching the teams were Jerry Smith, Todd Singer and Kathryn Wells.</p>